This wonderful book presents the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Tombs of the Nobles and the village of Deir Al Medina. The author discusses mortuary rituals and presents many pharaohs, including those buried in the Valley of the Kings (Ramesses IX, Tuthmosis, Ramesses III, Ramesses I, Sethos I, Ramesses VI, Amenophis II, and Tuthomosis III), the queens buried in the Valley of the Queens (Nefertari, Khaemwaset, Amun-her-Khepshef) and the nobles from tombs TT 52, TT 69, TT 55, TT 96, TT 1 and TT 359. With maps, drawings, a bibliography, a chronological table and more than 150 photographs, this is an extremely worthwhile guide for travelers.

Bravo Dr. F. Milani. Highly readable, interesting work

This review really applies to all three volumes. Hodgson's work is not for those new to Islamic studies, and his writing style is complex. Few are the sentences that lack at least one subjunctive clause. But his adoption of key Arabic terms in his narrative; his broad geographic sweep, from Andalusia and the Sahel through Nile and Oxus to India and Indonesia; and his comprehensive consideration of political, social, religious, cultural, and economic aspects of civilization make for a series as broad and deep as this student of history could want. It took me several years to read the whole set, as only recently did I have enough interest in the artistic and philisophic (falsafah) traditions.

This is a beautiful book of photographs and text by the 33 year old photographer/author. Tracing a grandfather's origins back to Pakistan, Fazal discovers that the area where his ancestor lived is now an Afghani refugee camp. He meets the people, finds out their stories and travels to the war ravaged capitol to photograph the inconceivable devastation. His specialty is poetic text and portraits done in the clasical,direct, nineteenth century style. One powerful series is done in a extraordinary closeups by gaslight and focuses on the face exclusively. These expressive faces combine with their life histories to form a moving document of the tragedy of Afghanistan. The book closes with a series of portraits of children reminiscent of Walker Evan's best work. Harsh history is revealed in their faces. A beautiful and poetic account of human dignity in war torn Afghanistan.

This scholarly, yet accessible, book argues that Israel was forced to fight for its survival in 1967 because the Soviet Union wanted a second front against the United States. Written by a Rutgers history professor and filled with detailed chapter notes, Klinghoffer makes a compelling argument that both superpowers treated Vietnam and Israel as mere pawns in a global struggle for power.

In the Spring of 1967, many liberal American Jewish leaders found themselves in the odd position of oppossing American military intervention in Vietnam - and urging President Johnson to deploy the American Navy to the Mideast. The Soviet Union's support for the Arab cause pushed Israel's Socialist Zionist leadership to relucantly shift from neutrality to become a strong American ally.

This work details how the distinct possibility of a second Holocaust in the Mideast woke up many idealistic Israelis and American Jews to see the dangers of third world revolutionary movements. Klinghoffer also effectively links domestic political concerns with international policies in Vietnam and the Middle East with wit and confidence. An insightful work that seems quite plausible - and helped me understand a confusing part of the world.

An excellent primer on Mideast politics that unintentionally illuminates the problems facing peace negotiators today.

Virtual Pilgrimage is a great product! It is easy to use and explore and takes you to all the major cities and sites in the Holy Land. It's packed with videos and pictures and contains descriptions by famous pilgrims throughout history. It's a real bargain with the free screensavers.

This is one of the most interesting books I have read for some while - I first discovered it in the bibliography of Layard's "Travels in Persia, Susiana and Babylonia" - a scarce book now but well worth getting from a library.

Curzon is the archetypical English Antiquarian - willing to brave the dangers and discomforts in the pursuit of an intangable knowledge.

This book is full of anecdotes and observations of life before the western influence destroyed much of it's colour and variety. I found some of the narrations of life in Cairo and Alexandria especially interesting - like the flooding of the Nile and the ritual of draining the river into a canal in Cairo - not done anymore since the construction of the Aswan dam.

The narratives on the monasteries visited, some of which were in strange places, were colourful and I wonder what remains of some of these places now.

This is a great book for anyone interested in travel or history and will survive many readings I am sure.

David Thorne

Mahnaz Kousha's impressive work, Voices From Iran: The Changing Lives Of Iranian Women reveals the rapidly-changing lives of modern Iranian women and is recommended for college-level students. From family ties to cherished bonds of matrimony, this considers all aspects of Iranian women's experiences.

I just came from the Maunday Thrusday Watch where I read A Walk in Jersusalem, Stations of the Cross as I watched in the Garden. The flow and pace took me along the path Jesus walked on the way to Gaulgatha. It made the story of the cursifiction come alive for me in a way it never has before, I was there watching,and following along as Jesus, then Simon carried the cross.

I would be especially good for a Lenten study or to walk your own "way of the cross". I know I will read and re-read this book many times.

Ten years after its publication this book is still very relevant discussing the dilemmas of activists against Israeli occupation. This book gives a voice to people who invest much of their time to resist the unjust behavior of Israeli army toward Palestinian and they are often unheard in the States. It shades light on the complexity and variety of the resistance movement in Israel. Many of the writers in this book are still activists, much the pain and passionate insights are still valid. Reading this book is like a tour in which you meet honestly dedicated people who cares about the ending occupation and just peace, who are not afraid to break down myth of the Israeli state, and be critical about the legacies of the holocaust, and other myth of Israeli culture. Israel as militaristic society is a subject to analysis of various voices, from all segments of left spectrum of society, feminists Palestinians, oriental, etc. all caring commited and active.